In the evening he crossed the great bridge of Isma’il Pasha to the island of Gizireh, staring at the procession of carriages, camels, automobiles6 and donkeys that at twilight7 followed on one another’s heels. In the carriages and automobiles rode Syrians, Turks, Copts and Arabs, clothed in conventional European dress, save for the red fez everywhere prevalent. The burnous and native dress had been abandoned by these aristocrats8, and this met with Kāra’s full approval. He was not averse9 to innovations upon the ancient customs in which he had been reared. If the dominant10 people of his country and age were English, then the manners and{84} customs of the English should be adopted by those who wished to compete with them in importance.
Also he began to understand that it is more dignified to ride than to walk. At Gizireh he hailed a carriage and in it returned across the bridge, avoiding the dust and heat and mingling11 with a procession of beautifully costumed women and handsomely dressed men. His own costume was poor enough in comparison, but his magnificent chain drew the eye of more than one curious observer.
And now Cairo was ablaze12 with lights, and the population seemed gathered upon the sidewalks before the cafés and restaurants. Kāra discovered that he was hungry. He dismissed his carriage and seated himself at one of the outdoor tables, ordering liberal refreshment13. Opposite him sat a young English girl with a vacant-faced man for escort. Kāra, as he ate, examined this girl critically, for she was the first of her class he had seen at close range. Her dress was dainty and beautiful; but she was not fat at all. She was vivacious14, and talked and laughed with unrestrained liberty. She seemed to imagine herself on an equality with the man beside her, who, despite his inanity15, was still a man. Altogether, Kāra was disappointed in her, although his grandmother had warned him that the training of European women imbued16 them with peculiar17 ideas, to which he must defer18 in his association with them.
As he watched the girl, Nephthys rose several degrees in Kāra’s estimation. Nephthys was certainly
Image unavailble: In the evening he crossed the great bridge of Isma’il Pasha to the island of Gizireh
In the evening he crossed the great bridge of Isma’il Pasha to the island of Gizireh
{85}
fat and soft of flesh, and she did not talk much. The possession of such a woman was quite desirable, and perhaps he had not paid an extravagant19 price for Nephthys after all. These independent, chattering20 Western women must be tolerated, however, until he had accomplished21 his mission; so it would be well to begin at once to study their ways.
Presently someone touched his shoulder familiarly, causing Kāra to shrink back with an indignant gesture. Tadros, the dragoman, stood smilingly beside him, more gorgeously arrayed than ever. Tadros was in an excellent humor. He had not been obliged to take his roll of papyrus22 to the museum for a market, but had disposed of it to a private collector for a price far exceeding his expectations, which had not been too modest. Altogether he had made an excellent trade, and there might be other pickings in this unsophisticated fellow-townsman of his, whose very presence in Cairo was warrant that he had money to part with.
Before accosting23 Kāra the dragoman had observed the change in his appearance and demeanor24. The former recluse25 was no longer disgustingly filthy26, but seemed clean in person and was gowned in a snowy and respectable burnous. The objectionable turban had given place to the fez; the red slippers27 were of excellent morocco. Best of all, the chain around his neck was rich and heavy and of remarkable28 workmanship. Kāra was not only presentable, but his manner was dignified and well bred.{86}
All this indicated suddenly acquired wealth—that mysterious old Hatatcha must have left to her grandson much more than the papyrus rolls; and although Kāra might endeavor to be secret and uncommunicative, he was bound to betray himself before very long. Now was the heated term, and even gay Cairo was listless and enervated29. The dragoman would have ample leisure to pick this bone skilfully30 before the tourist season arrived.
Kāra’s first angry exclamation31 was followed by a word of greeting. He was glad Tadros had found him, for as yet he had secured no place of residence, and the bigness of the city somewhat bewildered him in spite of his assumed reserve.
The dragoman agreed to take him to a respectable rooming-house much frequented by Copts of the better class. When they had arrived there, Kāra’s guide made a mystic sign to the proprietor32, who promptly33 charged his new guest double the usual rate, and obtained it because the Egyptian was unaware34 he was being robbed. The room assigned him was a simply furnished, box-like affair; yet Kāra had never before occupied an apartment so luxurious35. He examined the door with care and was pleased to find that it was supplied with a stout36 bolt as well as a lock and key.
“Now,” said the dragoman, “it is yet early; we have barely crossed the edge of the evening. I will take you to the theatre to see the dancing girls, and later to a house where they wager37 money upon a singular and{87} interesting game of red and black. We can afterward38 eat our supper at a restaurant and listen to a fine band composed of Hungarian gypsies. How will that suit you?”
“Not at all,” replied Kāra, coldly. “I am going to bed. Be here to receive my orders at seven o’clock in the morning.”
Tadros fairly gasped39 with astonishment.
“Seven o’clock is too early,” he said, a little sullenly40. “The city is asleep at that hour.”
“When does it awaken41?”
“Well, the shops are open at about nine.”
“Come to me, then, at nine. Good night.”
This summary dismissal was a severe disappointment to the dragoman, yet he had no alternative but to take his leave. Strange that Kāra had refused the dancing girls and the game table; but perhaps he was really tired. Tadros must not expect too much from his innocent at first.
At nine o’clock the next morning he found that the young Egyptian had breakfasted and was impatiently awaiting him.
“Take me to the leading jeweler in town,” said Kāra.
The dragoman frowned, but presently brightened again and took his employer to a second-rate shop, where his commissions were assured.
“Not here,” said Kāra. “I have seen much better shops.”{88}
Tadros tried again, but with no better success; so he altered his plans and took Kāra direct to Andalaft’s, trusting to luck to exact a commission afterward.
“Now, then,” said he, briskly, “what shall we examine first?”
But Kāra ignored him, asking to see the proprietor in private. Mr. Andalaft graciously consented to the interview, and when the Egyptian entered the great jeweler’s private room Tadros was left outside.
Kāra laid a splendid ruby42 upon the merchant’s table. The latter pounced43 upon it with an eager exclamation.
“It is very old,” said the Egyptian. “Tell me, sir, is there any one in Cairo who can recut it in the modern fashion?”
“But it will be a shame to alter this exquisite44 gem,” protested Andalaft. “It is the square, flat cutting of the ancients, and shows the stone to be absolutely pure and flawless. Such specimens45 are rare in these days. Let it alone.”
Kāra shook his head with positiveness.
“I must have it recut,” said he, “and by the best man obtainable.”
“Ah, that is Van der Veen, the Hollander. He does all my important work. But Van der Veen will himself argue against the desecration46. He is a man of judgment47.”
“Where can I find him?” asked the prince.
The merchant reflected.{89}
“I will give you a letter to him,” said he. “If the stone must be recut, I want Van der Veen to do it himself. He has three sons who are all expert workmen, but no one in the world can excel the father.”
He wrote the note, addressed it, and gave it to Kāra. Then he again picked up the ruby and examined it.
“If you would but sell it,” he suggested, with hesitation48, “I could secure for you a liberal price. The Khedive has placed with me an order for a necklace of the ancient Egyptian gems; but in two years I have been unable to secure more than three stones, none of which compare with this in size or beauty. Allow me.”
He opened a drawer and displayed the three antique stones—two emeralds and an amethyst49. Kāra smiled, and putting his hand in a pocket underneath50 his burnous, he drew out five more rubies51, but little inferior in size to the one he had first shown.
“Tell me,” said he, “what price you will pay for these, to add to the Khedive’s necklace.”
Andalaft was amazed, but concealed52 his joy and eagerness as much as possible. Carefully he examined the gems under a glass and then weighed each one in his scales.
“I will give you,” said he, after figuring a little, “four hundred pounds for the five stones.”
Kāra shrugged53 his shoulders and picked up the rubies.
“That may be the price for ordinary gems,” he remarked; “but their age and cutting give these an{90} added value. I am holding them at eight hundred pounds.”
The merchant smiled.
“It is easy to understand,” said he, with politeness, “that you are a connoisseur54 of precious stones; but, because you love the antique, your partiality induces you to place an undue55 value upon your rubies. Come! let us say six hundred.”
“I will not bargain,” returned the Egyptian; “nor do I urge you to buy. If you cannot afford to pay my price I will keep the rubies,” and he made a motion to gather them up.
“Stay!” exclaimed the jeweler. “What does it matter? The Khedive wishes them, and I must make the sacrifice for his pleasure.”
With a hand he vainly endeavored to render steady he wrote a check for the sum demanded, and Kāra took it and went away. Andalaft had made an excellent bargain; yet the Egyptian, for all his cleverness, did not know that he had been victimized.
At the house of the diamond-cutter, on a quiet side street at the lower end of the Mouski, Kāra had a long interview with Van der Veen and his three sons. As a result they agreed, after examining the magnificent diamonds shown them, to devote their exclusive services to Prince Kāra for a full year, he promising56 to keep them busy with the work of recutting his collection of ancient gems.
Afterward he sent Tadros with notes to Gerald{91} Winston and the banker, informing them of his temporary address, as he had promised. Then he had an excellent luncheon57 and smoked a Cuban cigar. In the afternoon he followed his imploring58 dragoman into several shops where he made simple purchases, and returned early to his hotel to find Winston impatiently awaiting him.
“You must accompany me at once to see my friend Professor Daressy, with whom I am already disputing concerning the new papyri. He is much interested in your method of interpreting the manuscripts, but requires a better proof of its accuracy than I can give him. Will you come?”
“It will give me pleasure,” answered Kāra—he drove with Winston to the curator’s house. His knowledge of the hieroglyphics59 was well founded, and he was not averse to an argument with the two savants. Indeed, they found his explanations so clear and concise60 that they were equally amazed and delighted.
The Egyptian dined with them in a private room, where the discussion could not be interrupted, and it was late in the evening when he returned thoughtfully to his own humble61 lodging62.
“Tadros,” said he, “find me a comfortable house in a good part of the city. Something like that of Professor Daressy will do.”
“It will cost a lot of money,” objected the dragoman.
“Never mind; I will pay the price,” returned the prince, haughtily63.{92}
So the next day Tadros rented a furnished house near the Ezbekieh Gardens for twelve hundred piastres a month, and charged Kāra two thousand piastres for it. The prince moved in, and for three or four weeks devoted64 himself to watching the Van der Veens recut his treasures, to long conversations with those Egyptologists who were spending the heated term in Cairo, and to a study of the collection of ancient relics65 in the great museum which Maspero had founded under Said Pasha. Incidentally he observed the social life and manners of those with whom he came in contact, and acquired a polish of his own in a surprisingly short period.
At the end of the month he returned to Fedah, taking his dragoman with him. Tadros went without protest, for he was making excellent profits from his old-time friend and had perfected a system of robbery that almost doubled Prince Kāra’s expenses.
They traveled by train and crossed the river in a boat, arriving in the evening at the tiny village. Tadros carried Kāra’s large traveling case and walked behind him, as was fitting in a paid retainer.
And so they entered the narrow street of the village, where all the dozen or so inhabitants stood in their doorways66 to stare and nod gravely at their returned fellow-citizens.
Kāra bade his dragoman leave the luggage in his own dwelling67 and seek a lodging for himself with old Nefert or Amenka. He then walked on to where S?ra and her daughter awaited him.{93}
He pinched Nephthys’ fat cheeks, felt of her round bare arms, and finally kissed her lips, declaring that she was steadily68 improving in condition and would put to shame many of the women of Cairo.
Nephthys allowed the caresses69 listlessly, her eyes only brightening slightly when the gaily70 dressed dragoman came near and stood watching the proceedings71. He wore a green jacket with gold embroidery72 to-day, and the girl observed it with evident approval.
“I sold her too cheaply, Kāra,” remarked the dragoman, stroking his thin mustache reflectively.
“In that I do not agree with you,” answered Kāra.
“I will pay double the price for her return,” said Tadros.
“The girl is not for sale. And see here, my man, keep your hands off her while you are in Fedah, or I will be obliged to kill you.”
“Never fear; I know my duties,” replied the dragoman, turning on his heel. It would not be wise to offend Kāra just now. The bone was not yet picked.
Nephthys put on her spangled gown and sat upon Kāra’s knee, while her mother brought cakes and milk for their refreshment. Kāra threw a chain of beads73 over the girl’s head, and she laughed for very pleasure. S?ra felt of the beads and counted them. They were blue, and had cost five piastres, but the two women were delighted with them and would enjoy their possession for many days.
It was late when Kāra left S?ra’s hut.{94}
“In the winter,” said he, “I will doubtless come for the girl and take her to Cairo. Then you shall have the rest of your money. Meantime, here is backshish to console you.”
He gave her a piece of gold—the first she had ever possessed—and went away to his dwelling.
“Nephthys,” said the mother, “I am proud of you. You have made us both rich!”
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1
marvel
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| vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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gems
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| growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长 | |
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costly
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| adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的 | |
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automobiles
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| n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 ) | |
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7
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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8
aristocrats
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| n.贵族( aristocrat的名词复数 ) | |
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averse
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| adj.厌恶的；反对的，不乐意的 | |
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10
dominant
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| adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因 | |
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11
mingling
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| adj.混合的 | |
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ablaze
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| adj.着火的，燃烧的；闪耀的，灯火辉煌的 | |
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13
refreshment
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| n.恢复，精神爽快，提神之事物；（复数）refreshments:点心，茶点 | |
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14
vivacious
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| adj.活泼的，快活的 | |
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inanity
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| n.无意义，无聊 | |
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imbued
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| v.使（某人/某事）充满或激起（感情等）( imbue的过去式和过去分词 )；使充满；灌输；激发（强烈感情或品质等） | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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defer
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| vt.推迟，拖延；vi.(to)遵从，听从，服从 | |
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extravagant
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| adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的 | |
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chattering
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| n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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21
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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papyrus
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| n.古以纸草制成之纸 | |
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accosting
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| v.走过去跟…讲话( accost的现在分词 )；跟…搭讪；（乞丐等）上前向…乞讨；（妓女等）勾搭 | |
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24
demeanor
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| n.行为；风度 | |
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recluse
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| n.隐居者 | |
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filthy
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| adj.卑劣的；恶劣的，肮脏的 | |
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slippers
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| n. 拖鞋 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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enervated
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| adj.衰弱的，无力的v.使衰弱，使失去活力( enervate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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30
skilfully
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| adv. (美skillfully)熟练地 | |
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31
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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unaware
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| a.不知道的，未意识到的 | |
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luxurious
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| adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的 | |
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wager
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| n.赌注；vt.押注，打赌 | |
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afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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sullenly
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| 不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地 | |
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41
awaken
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| vi.醒，觉醒；vt.唤醒，使觉醒，唤起，激起 | |
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42
ruby
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| n.红宝石，红宝石色 | |
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43
pounced
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| v.突然袭击( pounce的过去式和过去分词 )；猛扑；一眼看出；抓住机会（进行抨击） | |
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exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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46
desecration
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| n. 亵渎神圣, 污辱 | |
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47
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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48
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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49
amethyst
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| n.紫水晶 | |
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50
underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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51
rubies
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| 红宝石( ruby的名词复数 )； 红宝石色，深红色 | |
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52
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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53
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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54
connoisseur
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| n.鉴赏家，行家，内行 | |
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55
undue
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| adj.过分的；不适当的；未到期的 | |
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56
promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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57
luncheon
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| n.午宴，午餐，便宴 | |
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imploring
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| 恳求的，哀求的 | |
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59
hieroglyphics
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| n.pl.象形文字 | |
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concise
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| adj.简洁的，简明的 | |
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61
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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62
lodging
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| n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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haughtily
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| adv. 傲慢地, 高傲地 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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relics
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| [pl.］n.遗物，遗迹，遗产；遗体，尸骸 | |
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66
doorways
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| n.门口，门道( doorway的名词复数 ) | |
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67
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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68
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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69
caresses
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| 爱抚，抚摸( caress的名词复数 ) | |
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gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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71
proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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72
embroidery
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| n.绣花，刺绣；绣制品 | |
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73
beads
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| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
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